Americas Cup

The 2017 America`s Cup

The Americas Cup is all about national pride between England and America. It dates back over one hundred and sixty five years to Victorian times. London was hosting the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 and Prince Albert consort to Queen Victoria was organizing it. It was the first World Fair.

To commemorate the Exhibition the Royal Yacht Squadron based at Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight organized a yacht race to show the world their latest boat technology. It was a big deal, like the song goes Britannia Rules the Waves. They accepted an entry from the New York Yacht Club only to find that the black schooner Americas was infinitely faster than any of the squadron`s yachts.

Bermuda, Oracle Team USA, Land Rover BAR team, The America`s Cup

The squadron tried to wriggle out of the race but pressure from the press made that too difficult. As the race drew to a close Queen Victoria asked an aid `Who is second` and the reply that came with a stiff upper lip was `Your Majesty, there is no second`. The inevitable had happened and Americas sailed off with the cup giving the Brits a bloody nose. To rub salt into the wound they changed the name from the 100 Pound Cup and named it after their schooner Americas. So the Americas Cup became a challenge trophy for sailing clubs of all nations.

Talk about deep seated pride, it took the British 20 years to recover enough to even challenge for the cup. After 132 years the Americas Cup was still on show at the New York Yacht Club after many attempts by the English to win it back.

In 2017 the Americas Cup takes place in Bermuda which is more British than England itself. England has never won their cup and their $100M syndicate includes the very British Land Rover, the Squadrons patron is Queen Elizabeth II with the Squadrons Admiral Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburg. The yacht is designed by the brilliant Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey and skippered by Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie who fully expects to take the Americas Cup back home to England where he believes it belongs. Just as Oracles Team USA skipper and helmsman Jimmy Spithill expects to keep the Cup in San Francisco.

Be part of the excitement as yachts battle to win the famed cup. Flying out of the water, always on the edge of capsizing, taking the wind out of each others sails or as they now call them wings. Watch from Hamiltons natural arena or from a boat following the race. There is nothing as exciting as watching the Americas Cup yachts with their high pitched hum travelling up to 50 mph, three times the wind speed, in close company of their rivals.

The Americas Cup is truly a global phenomenon, an event that will attract thousands. Get your hotel room booked today.

OVERVIEW

The Americas Cup
The holder of the America`s Cup defends the Cup against qualified Yacht Clubs from around the world that challenge the holder. However the holder has the right to choose the location and rules, (within reason). The words "within reason" have caused many arguments as you can imagine when rules can be changed on a whim for the defending team to create an advantage over their competition. In 2014 the yachts length rule was 62ft and one year later 45ft termed as AC45 and the rule owned by the Golden Gate Yacht Club the defender.

The Hamilton Island Yacht Club in Australia was termed the "Challenger of Record" with Team Australia as challenger, financed by businessman Bob Oatley who owns Hamilton Island and the Rosemount winery. However a year later Team Australia withdrew from the event claiming the entry fee of $3M was too great, the "Challenger of Record" went to Luna Rossa who also withdrew its bid in protest of rule changes. All a little puzzling you may say but that is what happens in the realms of; Billionaires, big egos, big money, national pride and a passion to win this incredible event.

Yachts are now the domain of aero space engineers, using wind tunnels and space age materials. Ben Ainslie Racing sponsored by Range Rover employed Red Bull Technologies a leading Formula 1 team, Airbus became a partner with Oracle Team USA, and Cosworth a partner of Artemis Racing founded by businessman and sailor Torbjorn Tornqvis representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. Yachts from France, Japan, New Zealand, are also sailing in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America`s Cup World Series so there are five teams competing to be the Challenger.

America`s Cup will take place between the defender Oracle Team USA, and the highest placed yacht in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the challenger